Horse Cheese (Caciocavallo – cacio meaning cheese and cavallo meaning horse) is actually a cheese made from cow’s or sheep’s milk. Caciocavallo comes from Sicily and has a characteristic tear-drop shape. The cheese has a hard edible rind and a soft creamy centre.
I was told, in Wild Caper, where I bought it, that it’s called horse cheese because it’s tied together across a wooden board to drain, as if it were on horse back. In Mongolia, however, horses are milked for human consumption. This milk is used to produce, yogurt, cream, cheese (aarts), butter and an alcoholic drink – airag and the stronger nermil.